Hurricanes Assistant Coach Jeff Battah accepts Position as GM and Head Coach in Drayton Valley

Lethbridge, AB – The Lethbridge Hurricanes were very proud to announce today that Assistant Coach and Goaltending Coach Jeff Battah has resigned his position to take over as General Manager and Head Coach of the Drayton Valley Thunder of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Battah, accepted the job late in the 2007-2008 season but had asked that the information not be released until after the Canes WHL Playoff run. During this past season, the Canes goaltending coach helped to develop one of the strongest goaltending duos in the WHL.
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rWHL veteran Michael Maniago posted career numbers as he tallied a record of 25-14-2-3 including five shutouts during the regular season, ranking himself 12th in the WHL with a GAA of 2.50 and a save percentage of .896. Finnish Rookie Juha Metsola finished the regular season with a record of 20-7-0-1 and ranked 2nd in the WHL with a 0.916 save % and a new Hurricanes club record 1.98 GAA. He then tallied a 12-2 record in his first WHL Playoff run, with a GAA of 2.01 and a save percentage of 0.922 to lead the Hurricanes to their first WHL Eastern Conference Championship in eleven years. Metsola was also named MVP of the MNP Eastern Conference Championship series.
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rMetsola (3) and Maniago (5) combined for a total of eight shutouts in the 2007-2008 regular season; a new club record. Metsola got his first WHL shutout with a 9-0 win Jan. 26/08 in Prince George, his 2nd in Edmonton Feb.5/08 – 7-0W, his 3rd in Prince Albert Feb.27/08 – 4-0W. Maniago tied an individual club record of five shutouts held by Logan Koopmans and Aaron Sorochan – Calgary (Oct.25); Edmonton (Sept.30); Edmonton (Jan.11); Tri City (Jan.19); Calgary (Feb.15).
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r“This is a great chance for me to step up to a GM and Head coaching role” says Battah “Though I will miss being part of an elite Western Hockey League organization, this is a move that will be invaluable in my growth as a coach and manager.”
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r“Our mandate as an organization has been to develop players and individuals.” said Canes GM Roy Stasiuk “This is a move up, not out and for Jeff and to have the chance to take over his own organization as a GM and Head Coach is a great opportunity for him. I would like to congratulate him and wish him all the best.”
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rBattah played four seasons in the Ontario Provincial Jr. “A” League. He became an Assistant Coach in 2001-2002 with the Brampton Capitals and won an Ontario Junior “A” Championship in 2002. Battah then signed on as Assistant Coach of the Milton Ice Hawks Jr.”A” Club; finishing 41-6-2 – sixth in Canada in the 2002-03 season. Battah joined the Hurricanes in 2004, and in August 2005 he won a gold medal as an Assistant Coach with the Canada U-18 Junior World Cup team.
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r“After four years here, I learned a lot, from Mike [Dyck], Matt [Kabayama] and Roy [Stasiuk] and I am definitely taking a wealth of great experience with me as I take on this new challenge” says Battah “I’d like to thank the Hurricanes organization for giving me that opportunity and I am truly grateful for my time in the Western Hockey League.”
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